"It hasn't gone unnoted by us that there is something special about that shoe and, of course, the movie," said Nike shoe designer Tinker Hatfield, who helped design the original film shoe and worked on the latest version.

Nike's version of the shoe has been long awaited by shoe collectors and movie fans, who have been urging the company to make them ever since the film was released.

There were roughly eight or ten pairs used in the movie, some of which are in Nike's possession and a few that collectors somehow got their hands on.

Owning them, or even seeing a pair of them, has become a singular pursuit for some fans.

Nike, based in Beaverton, Oregon, decided more than four years ago to create the shoe, but was unsure when a pair would be ready.

Unlike the shoes in the 1989 movie, the real-life versions had to be designed for day-to-day use.

For instance, the design used in the movie required Fox to wear a battery pack with wires running down his trousers to light the shoe, which was the best technology available at the time.

Hatfield said the Nike Mag has been difficult to develop and the electrical systems, which illuminate the shoe for up to five hours, have been one of the most challenging things the company has ever done in footwear.

In a statement, Fox said: “The project is exciting to me because it brings together three very passionate audiences: the Parkinson's community, sneakerheads and Back to the Future fans.

“With their support we can accelerate our objective of finding a cure for Parkinson's.”

A spokesman for Nike added: "The... shoe was designed to be a precise replica of the original Back to the Future II.

"The aesthetic is an exact match, down to the contours of the upper, the glowing LED panel and the electroluminescent Nike in the strap."

Fox appeared on the Late Show with David Letterman overnight to promote the auction.